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The Last Days of Pisco

Inspired by the Prohibition era Gin cocktail The Last Word, I imagined what life was like in California right before Prohibition began. Right when the Pisco Punch was the most popular cocktail of San Francisco. Right before it all went underground. What was life like during the last days of Pisco? There must have been a river of Pisco flowing in the streets of The City.

Presenting, The Last Days of Pisco, a cocktail that pays homage to the Prohibition era, and the creativity it inspired. The Pisco is an Acholado blend infused with rosemary. Adding lime juice and simple syrup reminds us of the classic Sour, and the Green Chartreuse and Luxardo Maraschino honor the French and Italian immigrants in Peru. Here’s to those last days of Pisco and to when it disappeared, because without them we would not have experienced the rebirth of Pisco in San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Encanto Acholado Pisco infused with rosemary

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse

1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino

sprig of thyme for garnish

PREPARATION

Combine the Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, Green Chartreuse, and Luxardo Maraschino in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill and strain into a rocks glass with cracked ice. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

SERVINGS

1 serving

NOTES

To make the Pisco infusion, I used a Sansaire sous vide machine and a sealed mason jar filled to the brim with 1 cup of Pisco Encanto Acholado and a sprig of rosemary. The sealed jar was submerged in a water bath at room temperature, and the target temperature was set to 75°C. Once the target temperature was reached, I let the Pisco infuse for 1 hour. After removing the jar from the bath, and letting cool, the Pisco was strained and put in an airtight jar.

A few years ago, I heard about a London based pop-up called “The Last Days of Pisco,” and though I never had a chance to visit them, I was intrigued by the name and have wanted to make a cocktail with that namesake ever since. It seems that they are no longer around but the name persisted in my memory, and I started to imagine what it could mean, what were those last days?